Overall, what did you think of The Guest Book?

Overall, what did you think of The Guest Book?

I felt 'The Guest Book' took us on a long journey to an unfinished story. It took forever to know what the true storyline was; and to be honest, I didn't realize it until after finishing the book and thinking about it for a few days. It never occurred to me that Nazi sympathizers might be thriving in the United States and that their lives could go untouched while such horror was happening in the world.

It was a story that needed to be told; however, this is not the book to make anyone fully realize the effects on anyone's life because of it.

Overall, I liked it. I think each part reflected the times the characters lived in...I don’t have to like all their attitudes to see that.

I enjoyed the writing and the historic details. As a cottage owner I enjoyed reading about what the island meant to the family. However I found the story vague, and much too drawn out. I was often confused as to who was "talking" as the narrations changed from person to perso and era to era in each chapter. I prefer alternating chapters. I felt that the author tried to cover too many issues - the insight into the Old Money WASP culture, discrimination, feminism, Nazi issues, etc. Because of this I felt none of the issues were well explored. I also felt that many of the characters were overly stereotypical.
I wish an editor had encouraged the author to narrow her focus and delve deeper into fewer storylines because she can write! Some sentences were just beautiful!

I agree in part with what ruthlea said. The book did cover many issues, but I think that not going into depth about the issues is justifiable because the book is not so much about the particular issues as it is about past injustices— how one is affected by the past and our responsibility for atoning for and / or compensating for it.

I liked it. However, I feel 1/4 of the book could have been eliminated and it still would have had the desired effect.

It was okay but played the same tired WASP vs all others theme much too much. I am not sure Ogden was a Nazi sympathizer and he actually seemed to believe while in Germany that the Fuhrer was someone who could not possibly win universal support there. Now, Coco Chanel et al in Paris--there were Nazi sympathizers. No, 5 anyone? Sorry, but mea culpas for the actions of prior generations just don't sit well with me,

After reading the short description of the book I thought I was going to love it. I usually like generational stories. It held my attention at the beginning but the further I got into it the less interested I became. There were parts of the novel that I enjoyed but when I hit other parts they just seemed boring. It became a task to read so I wouldn't be able to give it a very high rating.

I think this book was a very good first draft but it was much too long. Too many marginal characters and unclear time shifts. This novel needed a good editor! There were parts that were interesting but some of the characters were stereotypical.

I liked the book a lot; more than I expected I would in fact. I was initially uncertain if I would find much to relate to in the WASPy characters, but the author delved into some really compelling themes that are totally universal - family, gender and race, complicity and regret, etc. And the prose itself was really lovely. I underlined a lot of passages I wanted to go back and read again. As the book progressed, I ended up relating to some of the characters a lot more than I thought I would initially, and I think that shows a lot of skill on the author's part.

Overall, I did not think that this novel rose to high levels of accolades that were given it. The metaphorical language used seemed forced and overused. For example, the character, Moss is an aspiring songwriter who is trying to write a song which will bring harmony to mankind. I felt that the writer brought up this metaphor over and over to the point where I felt that it was worn out and ineffective. To me it kinda felt a little cheesy. As other discussion group members have noted, I believe this novel was way to lengthy. The final party at the end of the novel seemed unending and I was bored ad nauseum with the minute unnecessary details.

As I said in my review when I finished, it just didn’t do it for me. I found the story moderately interesting, but my dislike of the characters kept me from getting more engaged. I’m okay with an unlikeable character here and there, I can’t think of one character in this tale that didn’t rub me the wrong way. I was really disappointed that I didn’t enjoy this more. And it’s length just made my dislike more pronounced! I kept wishing for it to be over.

I am a bit more than half way through but I am chomping at the bit to respond to this question. I find the writing to be beautiful in some spots (I have underlined sentences for their sheer perfection). I do agree with everyone else that this book needed a tough editor. It did not have to be so long and yes, like other readers I am longing to find out the result of being a Nazi sympathizer. Ms. Blake takes too long to get to the point. I will finish it but I really wish they took out about 100 pages. I will come back once I have finished. Interested to get to the party scene everyone is talking about.

I agree with so many of the comments and yet I really liked it. It definitely was too long and jumped around a lot but—- having said that I enjoyed reading it and lost myself in all the stories and details. I really wanted to find out what happened to all the characters.

I thought that the author did a fantastic job of writing for the time period of the story, especially with expressing the tensions at the time with respect to race/religion and how African Americans and Jewish people weren't really accepted but were instead faced with discrimination expressed 'politely' &/or in an unspoken manner.
There were also some beautifully written lines in the book.
However, I do agree with others that it took a long time for the plot to begin to unfold & was in need of more editing.

I agree with many of the previous readers: too many "isms". We encountered isolationism, racism, antisemitism, and elitism. (The latter especially rankled! I'd gone to work as a "mother's helper" for a wealthy family in a lovely cottage; I was fifteen, and quit the job after one day, the final blow being when I was told that I was not to read that day's newspaper but was to wait until the next day to see it!)
The Guest Book featured way too many Evelyns!; and the shifts in chronology I found distracting. Personally, I like a book which I can put down, and then turn to later without wondering about whom I'm reading. And I don't like feeling bleak when I've finished.

I enjoy historical fiction multi-generational family novels. As indicated previously I found the subject timely in light of the renewed discussions on reparations for descendants of slaves. While I wish several characters had been more developed, I realize sometimes when you try to span generations you need multiple books dedicated to the subject to do it justice. That said, I really enjoyed the book and found it to be one of my best reads this year.

While I liked this multi-generation family saga, I didn't love it. This could have been at least 100 pages shorter without losing any of the story line. The abrupt time shifts were awkward, particularly when they occurred in the middle of a chapter. While I got a better sense of some characters than others, I don't think any of the main characters were covered in depth. The book seemed overly descriptive, yet underdeveloped in exploring some of the major topics--sexism, racism, etc. I agree with some of the others commenting that this book needed much better editing.

I finished the book about an hour ago and want to append my impression I wrote after reading half. I loved the Guest Book. Yes it was long, meandering and at times a bit frustrating (get to the point already) but it was a satisfying ending to me. I loved the fact that Evie was Len’s biological daughter and loved that Reg was the one who told her the truth. I understand why Reg gave up his share of the cottage, only horrible memories for him. While Ms. Blake never came out and said it, I knew that Reg and Moss were in love. Of course that was a frightening fact in 1959 and Ms. Blake gave it the appropriate treatment keeping them closeted. I did like that Kitty figured it out, just hated her for kicking Reg and Len out when she knew they were in love with her children.

The book is a pleasant read. I could draw a picture of the island and surroundings, and the traditions established there.
Personally, I dont like to feel that someone else is trying to form opinions for me, especially pertaining to social or political issues, and at times, this book falls into that category. It is certainly accurate as to how non WASP folks were treated in those times. It would be nice for a change to celebrate how far forward it has come in so many instances, instead of dwelling on the negative.
The characters felt as if they were developed to justify the messages, instead of being real people.
I never did understand how the death of the child early in the book precipitated the actions of the island’s folks.

I thought that the writing was beautiful. I really enjoy books where I ponder over paragraphs and re-read them because of the writing. It was a difficult book for me because I am Jewish and gay. The overpowering sentiments held in the 1930's (and even today to some extent) by WASPs in the USA were and are disgusting and depressing. Given the current day politics, this book hit home even more. The fact that Ogden earned his money and bought the island with Nazi money showed that money, as always, trumps moral and ethical choices. Kitty may have regretted not saving the young boy, but she showed her true colors by not allowing the love relationships of her children to progress.

The author's other two books "Grange House" and "The Postmistress" were much better written so I was a bit disappointed with this one. I wish she had given the chapters names to make it easier to know when and where we were and to create smoother transition.

I liked the book, but as others said, it did jump around. Our family recently let go of a beach house that had been in our family for over 100 years to my mother's boyfriend who didn't give a whit about the history or the people who had lived in the house for generations. He sold it and never looked back.

I do get tired of the worn out WASP viewpoint by others. I believe that we moved past that several decades ago. All in all a good book, read well and I enjoyed it.

I loved the writiing and expressions in this book! I found many thoughts that given the chance I would make into fridge magnets or pillows, they really hit home for me. The segueing from age to age without any acknowledgment to the shift threw me for a loop - I never could follow all the characters or times without a great deal of confusion. I should have written them down at the beginning, but at the beginning I didn't realize I would have to. Many of the attitudes of the women in the early parts were very similar to what we have in the South even today. I'm sorry the story didn't take the attitudes and mores of the families to a greater understanding of today's world, although understanding today's world is not a pleasant journey. The death of the first little boy was a tragedy but it only lingered in the minds of a couple of characters, casting a pall over many of the attitudes toward future characters without talking about it. I'd go crazy with self-doubt in this family!

I enjoyed this book and agree with others that it was too long. Better editing could have tightened it up and still allowed for the generational stories. I was frustrated about Moss's life and wondered if his sibs knew he was having such difficult issues. I do think there was an unspoken Nazi influence in the older generation. I remember asking my mother how her generation could have ignored the Nazi damage done in Germany and elsewhere (her family was of German background). Her answer was that the US didn't know what was really happening in Europe and thought that what they did know could have been rumors. I thought of her answer to me as I read the sections on the older generation. I particularly liked the generational links.

I enjoyed the book as a whole. Rather than viewing it as a story of later generations "atoning" for the sins of previous generations, I saw it as a story of each new generation of a family becoming more open and accepting than the generation that preceded it. Attitudes and beliefs can change, even if it happens more slowly than we hope.

On a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the best, I rate his book an even 3. The story gave me a New York City feel while reading it. I did feel the "WASPYness" of the story. I didn't relate to any of the characters in this story, yet it kept me interested enough to keep reading. I usually enjoy family sagas, yet this story felt a little disjointed. It took me awhile to figure out the timeline and characters involved once I started each new chapter. Although I did enjoy the story, I felt like I was only getting glimpses of each character and their beliefs.

I found the book frustrating to follow. The chapter changes were abrupt and the shift of characters between chapters had me re-reading passages to find the time and place that the chapter was headed in. A simple year for the chapter heading would have been helpful. The book seemed lengthy with details that didn’t add to the story or character development. I generally enjoy family sagas and tales of historical fiction, but this book was a struggle to get thru. I did enjoy the writing style of the author, but got bogged down with all the unnecessary details.

I read this book twice. At the end of my first reading I felt the ending seemed contrived and somewhat abrupt. I had worked hard throughout to be sure who each character was and to follow the time-shifting between the family’s three generations, but did not (as I was to discover) give proper attention to the characters of Len and Reg. On my second read, I made sure to anchor myself in the book’s structure and also to google any historical aspects I wasn’t “up” on, especially pre-WWII Germany. This more careful reading led me to notice how and where the author dropped clues and incidents that spiraled towards her ingenious and satisfying ending. I live in Maine, have been a year-round resident on one of the smaller (working) islands just north of the book’s summer setting, and thus have a sense of the tensions of “old” money estate holders and middle & working class coastal and island dwellers. The author did her homework in this regard!

I hope my own local book group will choose to read The Guest Book this fall. I would read it again, and enjoy a discussion about the characters, the historical issues. Especially, I believe that the way this country’s current government policies and practices are eerily similar to German pre-WWII ones merit our attention to ways we Americans may be ignoring these similarities and their consequences to our peril. Also there were many astonishingly beautiful passages and insights I believe it would be a pleasure to share within my group. I will offer to create a family tree on a time line to facilitate keeping track of the many characters in the book.

I totally enjoyed the book. Sarah Blake was able to address so many events during the time period. Also, the fact that all families have secrets, and all secrets have consequences. If you live long enough, you can look back over your life and see how those secrets impacted the way you chose to live.

I am not quite halfway through. It was a slow start, then picked up somewhat & I thought it would surely take off & grab me ... but no. I don't find it hard to put down & am not anxious to pick it up again (though I will finish it...eventually). As others have noted, it could have used a good editing. Blake writes beautifully, which is one reason I was anxious to read this; but the story lines feel disjointed and I was dismayed by the huge leap from 1936-1959 with almost no detail about what happened in between. So far I like it, but don't love it.

The writing is stunning and Sarah Blake is an excellent storyteller. As family sagas go, this is one of my favorites as it held me captive from beginning to end. I particularly enjoyed the yin and yang of Reg and Moss and thought it was particularly interesting that it was Reg still standing at the end...

I also enjoyed the book overall but I agree with some of the other readers that the book strayed off path and left many unanswered questions. I also felt that some of the characters were undeveloped because she tried to put too much into the story. I wanted to know more about several of the relationships and the outcomes. I did not see it primarily as a "Nazi sympathizer" novel at all. Rather I felt it was about generations and the decisions they made and still need to make.

I really liked this book. It was well written and grabbed my attention. I found myself placing book darts all over the book to remember different parts of the story and passages, and I felt that there were some parallels between the 1930s Germany and the US today. Scary stuff. I will remember this one for quite some time.

I enjoyed the story although it was a little wordy! Actually, after finishing the book I kept thinking about the family so that's a sign of a good story. My husband and I have been thinking of buying a lake house and reading about island life is putting me in the mood! Interesting topics or characters came up throughout the book but sometimes the author chose not to further pursue them.